Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-09
MIR. FIELDS PROTEST AND REMEDY

David Dudley Field, whose sagacity
and legal ability are of the first order, has
touched a vital part in our political body
in a series of essays recently upon the dan
ger to our system from the rule of bossism.
His case swell stated, his proofs marshaled
admirably, his plea for open nominations
and free elections vigorous and incisive.
His contention is, that practically the
people now have neither. This is an ex-
IRENE view of the case. There are nomi-
nations, and not few, that are spontane-
Gus, that make themselves, and which
bosses, ring-rulers and strikers cannot pos
sibly prevent or postpone. But it may
well be said that the free nomination, in
which all the men of party are at full
liberty to take part, is the exception, and
the cut and dried programme the rule.
So, too, in elections, in most cases, the
people have but the choice between candi-
dates who have been nominated by rival
rings.
As Mr. Field puts it, " in this fair city
of New York, as often as an election comes
round, $4,000 persons instruct 250000 or
100000 voters whom to vote for. They
are, indeed told that they may vote for
whomsthey please, but if they do not vote
for the candidates named by the $4,000,
the vote might as well be thrown away.
The electors are as much restricted to the
list made out for them as if the actors were
by law divided into two classes called
the nominating class and the other the
voting class This kind of government
Mr.. Field, in his evaporation, denom-
mates an oligarchy He believes it to be
uncomfortable, and that if not changed, dit
must end in catastrophe"
But it will be changed the system of
self-government in America is not to fail.
Its destiny will not be worked out until it
has demonstrated Its capacity for purity.
But there must be "change," as Mr.. Field
says, and this will come when the moral
sense of the people has so quickened that
bossism of every degree is wholly and ut
terly odious in the eyes of the electors.
The remedy Mr.. Field would have applied
was suggested by himself in No
vember last, and approved by Theo-
dore Roosevelt, Amos K Fiske and others.
In brief it consists in making the elective
privilege dependent upon activity in the
nominating privilege. Thus, when the
minds of the people are awakened to the
gravity of the evil, and the awfulness and
extent of political corruption, he would
have them set up system by which citi-
zens can be compelled" to take part in
nominations TO office so far as deprivation
of the elective franchise for inactivity
would be compulsory method. He would
have every voter register, and on register
ing name the person he desires nominated,
and that the persons thus nominated by a
certain number, say a tenth Of the
voters, shall be deemed the nominees, and
their names be printed by the county as
such, and tickets distributed at public cost
bearing such names. Fearing that this
plan would be held faulty, Mr.. Field forth
fes ii by a supplemental suggestion, that
only those persons shall be named by an
elector who have been in writing pre-
viously recommended" by given number
of citizens.
The weaknesses of this "new idea" are
many, but recital of few will suffice.
The Recommendation" plan would utterly
debar the man from candidacy whom the
people might desire to take up at ''the
last moment and after the time for regis
tration had passed. Moreover, recon-
mendation would not necessarily constitute
evidence of fitness, since there is no man
with an itching for Office whois so poor in
friends as to be unable to secure the re-
quisite number of signatures to recon-
mendationp The nominating at registra-
ton would be valueless unless it could be
secret, aud Mr.. Field makes no provision